click to enlarge  image

Crossing flooded Squaw Creek
Photo from 1912

The Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railroad that operated the interurban line between Fort Dodge and Des Moines serviced Ames through the branch coming north from Kelley.  The same company also operated street cars between downtown Ames and the Iowa State College campus from 1907 to 1926, using much the same path once used by the steam Dinkey.  This photo shows an electric street car crossing the flooded flats of Squaw Creek after leaving campus.  Learn more about the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railroad serving Ames.

Don't miss the February 24 public presentation on the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railroad by Bob Bourne and Chuck Mischke.

This 1917 view of Ames Main Street also shows an electric trolley.  Although the interurban operated using electricity generated by the coal-fired powerplant in Fraser, the Ames powerplant may have provided electricity for street cars.

This map shows the path of the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railway in Ames starting in 1907.  A few years later, the route encircled the northwest corner of campus, with a stop at Olsanville and terminating at Westgate.  After 1916, the tracks were extended south of Lincoln Way, turning east onto Knapp Street and creating the loop by linking up with the branch line that came north from Kelley by passing through Zumwalt Station.   Zumwalt Station was located two miles south of Lincoln Way and one and one half miles east of South Dakota.  The early steam Dinkey line on Fifth Street in downtown Ames is also shown on this map.

An interurban car was built higher and was somewhat larger than the street car trolley that was used for service between downtown Ames and the ISC campus.  Both operated using electricity (originally 600 volts, later 1200 volts) received from the overhead wires and could travel in either direction.  The photo above shows two railfan excursion cars parked at the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern depot located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Lincoln Way and Grand.  (photo courtesy of Doug Nibbe)